Japanese and UK-based scientists have detected measles virus sequences in peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs) from patients with Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and autistic enterocolitis — the recently describedsyndrome purportedly associated with measles-mumps-rubella vaccination. Dr. Hisashi Kawashima from TokyoMedical University and colleagues there and in London explain that previous studies have suggested that measles virusmay be present in the intestine of Crohn's disease patients. They also allude to the reported association betweenmeasles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination and some cases of autistic enterocolitis, a syndrome of gastrointestinalsymptoms and developmental regression in children leading to autism. Numerous other reports, however, havediscounted that association. In the present study, the authors examined PBMCs from patients with these disorders, inorder to determine whether any detected measles viruses were derived from wild-type or vaccine strains. The studyteam reports in the April issue of Digestive Diseases and Sciences, that "one of eight patients with Crohn's disease,one of three patients with ulcerative colitis and three of nine patents with autism, were positive [for measles virussequences]." In contrast, measles virus was not detected in any control patients. According to the paper, measlessequences isolated from Crohn's patients were characteristic of wild-type strains, whereas those from patients withulcerative colitis and autism had characteristics of vaccine strains. The study investigators note that these "resultswere concordant with the exposure history of patients." In an interview with Reuters Health, Dr. Kawashima said that"because measles vaccine and sporadic strains were detected in several immunologic diseases, the implications ofour study are uncertain." He added that "whilst the detection of measles viruses in Crohn's disease are not important, iffurther cases of autistic enterocolitis are detected after MMR vaccination, our study will be very significant." At an Aprilhearing of the House Government Reform Committee, the National Network for Immunization Information stated thatthere is no scientific evidence to suggest that autism is associated with childhood vaccination. Dig Dis Sci2000;45:723-729.